Garage door opening device



Jan. 28, 1964 B. c. BATEMAN 3,119,608

GARAGE DOOR OPENING DEVICE Filed Feb. 26, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIQ? GOA/7804 5565/1 58 Jan. 28, 1964 B. c. BATEMAN GARAGE DOOR OPENING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 26, 1958 INVENTOR, 591 65 6. 59/67/1 7 Jan. 28, 1964 B. c. BATEMAN 3,119,608

GARAGE DOOR OPENING DEVICE Filed Feb. 26. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F INVENTOR,

JG. Ref CE 6: 5975/14 47f A/EV United States Patent 3,119,608 GARAGE DOUR OPENING DEVICE Bryce C. liateman, Northridge, Calif, assignor to Packard-Bell Electronics Corporation, Los Angelcs, Calif, a corporation of Caiifornia Filed Feb. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 717,730 16 Claims. (Cl. 26874) This invention relates to motor driven door openers, and more particularly to a device for opening and closing an overhead door in a building such as a garage.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide inexpensive overhead door openers having component parts designed to wear well for long periods of time and without the need for maintenance.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel limit switch arrangement for operating the motor of a motor driven overhead garage door opening device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a compact overhead garage door opener.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means to release an overhead garage door from its connection with the motor driven garage door opener, the release means being manually operable, whereby the garage door may be manually operated in the event of a power failure.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood when considered with the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings made a part of this specification, wherein several embodiments are illustrated by way of example. The device of the present invention is by no means limited to the specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings since they are shown merely for purposes of description.

FIG. 1 is a broken-away sectional view of a garage incorporating the door opener of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the garage door opener taken on the line 22 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a broken-away sectional view of the door opener taken on the line 3-3 shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a broken-away perspective view of a limit switch arrangement for the door opener of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a broken-away plan view of the limit switch arrangement shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a broken-away sectional view of a slip clutch employed in the door opener of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a tow member taken on the line 77 shown in the door opener in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a catch for the tow member fixed to the upper end of the garage door taken on the line 8-8 shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an electrical circuit which may be incorporated with the door opener of the invention.

In the drawing in FIG. 1 a garage is indicated at 18 including joist members 12 and 14 and a rafter 16. A

mounting angle iron, two required, 18 may be fixed to rafter 16 and joist 14 as shown, the angle iron 18 being used to mount a garage door opener 28 including means 22 fixed to the upper end of the garage door to hingedly connect a tow member 24 to thet top of a garage door 26.

Tow member 24 projects between a roller 28 and a clutch 30 shown in considerably larger detail in FIG. 2.

Garage door opener 20 may also include, but need not necessarily include, a radio receiver 32 having an antenna 33, receiver 32 thereby operating a motor 34 to turn cogwheel assembly 30 to move tow member 24 from a position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 to a position indicated at 35 in dotted lines in FIG. 1. This causes the door to rotate from its vertical position shown in FIG. 1 to an open position. It is to be noted that garage door 26 rotates about a shaft 36 to which garage door 26 is pivoted 3,119,608 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 by means of a framework 38. Motor 34 is aided by a conventional spring arrangement 40 shown in FIG. 1.

Garage door opener 20 also includes a gear box and electrical housing 42 for housing the additional structure of the device 20. However, two leaf spring arrangements 44- and 45 are actually fixed to tow member 24. This specific arrangement will be described in detail hereinafter.

Motor 34 is preferably a reversing motor. That is, a conventional type motor and is available on the open market which is provided with an output shaft that turns in an opposite direction each time the motor is turned on. Motor 34 is in fact provided with a drive shaft 46 shown in FIG. 2 to which a worm 48 is keyed. Worm 48 drives a worm gear 58 which is keyed to a shaft 52 extending outwardly of housing 42. Housing 42 encloses gear box 54 for the worm and worm gears 48 and 50 and circuitry 56 shown at the right in FIG. 2 including a switch 58 and a relay 6t). Shaft 52 is employed to drive one-half of clutch 30 or disc 62 which is fixed to shaft 52 by means of a diametral pin 64. The clutch face of disc 62 is varied as indicated at 66 in FIG. 6.

A cogwheel 68, best shown in FIG. 3, is provided with a right hand face substantially identical with the face 66 of disc 62 to mesh therewith. It is urged in a right hand direction as viewed in FIG. 2 by means of a spring 70. Of course spring biased slip clutches of the type shown in FIG. 2 are generally old in the art. However, it is to be noted that two features are provided by the specific slip clutch of the invention.

In the first place, a left hand disc member 72 is provided to support tow member 24 with disc 62 at a diameter from axis of shaft 52 indicated at 74. It is to be noted that the smallest diameter of the cogwheel at 76 is smaller than the diameter 74. This requirement is made to pre vent material of tow member 24 defining a plurality of slots 7 8 in the bottom thereof from riding on the bottommost portion of cogwheel 68 between the cogs thereof which fit in slots 78 and also to prevent the portions of the tow member 24 defining the slots from binding in between the cogs of cogwheel 68. Cogs are indicated at 80 in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

In cooperation with disc 72, slip clutch 30 performs another function. In the event that the torque demand on motor 43 is too high, i.e., above a predetermined value, clutch 38 will slip and member 72 will engage an actuating member 82 to open switch 58 to turn off the motor 34. Specifically, when clutch 38 slips, right end of member 82 indicated at 84 engages the left end of member 72 as viewed in FIG. 2 and switch 58 is opened. A projection 86 is also provided on member 82 to engage leaf springs 88 of leaf spring arrangements 44 and 45 to open switch 58 and thereby turn off motor 34 whenever tow member moves :to a position near one of its extreme limits of travel shown in both solid and dotted lines in FIG. 1. The inertia of the motor 34 and the drive means connecting it to tow member 24 will, of course, cause tow member to move past leaf spring arrangements 44 and 45, i.e., to the left of leaf spring arrangement 44 and :to the right of leaf spring arrangement 45 as viewed in FIG. 1 when the garage door 26 is respectively lowered and raised.

Leaf spring arrangement 44 is identical to leaf spring arrangement 45 except for the fact that leaf spring arr angement 45 is provided with a leaf spring not indicated extending inwardly toward tow member 24 in a direction opposite the direction of leaf spring 88. The construction detail of arrangement 44 is shown in FIG. 4 including Tinnerm-an clips 80 to clip a body portion 92 of arrangement 44 to a flange 94 of tow member 24. Tow member 24 is also provided with an additional flange 96 to rest against roller 28 as shown in FIG. 2. Flange 94 is made 3 especially wide to permit the attachment of leaf spring arrangements 44 and 45. Body portion 92 includes tabs 98 to underlie flange 94, ridge 47 to extend upwardly beyond the left edge of flange 94, a straight portion 49 to open switch 58 positively, and leaf spring portion 88. Tinnerman clips 90 fit over the top of flange 94 and under tab 98 as shown in FIG. 2.

As can be seen in FIG. 2 the compression of spring 70 is adjustable by means of a nut 51 which is provided with a lock nut 53 both of which are threaded to the left end of shaft 52. Shaft 52 extends through a bearing 59 in a bearing opening 55 in a supporting plate 57. A snap ring 63 is then fixed in a groove 65 in shaft 52 to maintain plate 57 in appropriate axial position relative to shaft 52.

Plate 57 is provided with an aperture 67 to permit extension of actuating member 82 toward member 72 and leaf spring arrangements 44 and 45. At its upper end, plate 57 is provided with an aperture 69 through which a bushing 71 projects to receive actuating member 82. Aetuating member 82 is provided with an upset at 73 to limit its movement to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, upset 73 engaging the left face of bushing 71. Bushing 71 is threaded into a fixed shaft 75 which is provided with a fixed outer cylinder 77 treated with a material eliminating the necessity of lubricating roller 28. A washer 91 is located between bushing 71 and plate 57, plate 57 being located between Washer 91 and fixed shaft 75.

As can be seen roller 28 is made of a dielectric material, preferably rubber. Cogwheel 68 and member 72 are preferably made of nylon to eliminate the necessity of lubricating cogs 80 and tow member 24 at slot 78. Further, it has been found that a nylon material makes a very desirable slip clutch, such as a slip clutch 30, because of its rather waxy and self-lubricating characteristic physical property.

In order to save space, shaft 75 is fixed to gear box 54 shown in FIG. 2. At its right end, a spacer 79 is provided to enter it and :to provide a stop for a spring 81 operating against a follower 83 to urge upset 73 against the left face of bushing 71. In the position shown, this also maintains switch 58 in a closed position. Switch 58 is of a common variety utilizing leaf spring 85 which normally springs back to that contact at 87 part when actuating member 82 is moved to the left either by leaf spring arrangements 44 and 45 or a slipping action of clutch 30. A rubber bumper 89 is fixed to the right end of actuating member 82.

In the position shown in FIG. 6, clutch 30 is slipping to such an extent that switch 58 is actuated by actuating member 82. The manner in which switch 58 is operated through actuating member 82 and leaf spring arrangements 44 and 45 is best illustrated in FIG. 5. The movement of actuating member 82 shown in solid lines is in a direction indicated by an arrow 93 when movement of leaf spring 88 and tow member 24 is in a direction indicated by arrow 95. Movement of actuating member 82 to the left then as viewed in both FIGS. 2 and causes switch 58 to be open and motor 34, therefore, to be deenergized. Inertia of the motor 34 will carry the upper end of the leaf spring 88 a short distance completely past actuating member 82. When garage door 26 is closed, member 24 will be moved to a position such that leaf spring 88 will appear slightly below the dotted line position of actuating member 82 indicated at 97 in FIG. 5. When it is desired to open the garage door 26, tow member 24 will be moved upwardly as viewed in FIG. 5 and leaf spring 88, fixed to tow member 24, will move in a direction opposite that indicated at 95 relative to actuating member 82. It is to be noted that leaf spring 88 is not fixed to anything at its lower end as viewed in FIG. 5. When the tow member and leaf spring move in a direction opposite to that 'of arrow 95, it will approach actuating member 82 at a position indicated at 97. In this case, the lower end of leaf spring 88 will simply be bent to the left as viewed in FIG. 5 and actuating member 82 will be forced to the right but upset 73 will prevent the movement of it in that direction by being in engagement with the left face of bushing 71. The motor 34 will continue to be actuated as tow member 24 moves in direction opposite that indicated at and leaf spring 88 will be carried completely past actuating member 82. As soon as the lower end of leaf spring 88 is deflected to the left and passes projection 86 of actuating member 82, it will snap back to its normal position as indicated in solid lines in FIG. 5.

It is to be noted that although actuating member 82 is shown in dotted lines at position 97 in FIG. 5, it actually does not move. It has been shown in dotted lines at 97 only in a position relative to that of tow member 24 and leaf spring assembly 44.

From FIG. 4 it can be seen that tow member 24 is U-shaped and provided with flanges 94 and 96 on its upper end. Assembly 22 is shown in FIGS. 7-8 including a bracket 10!) having hook means 101 on each side of it to hook around a pin 102 projecting through suitable apertures 183 in the legs forming the U-shape of tow member 24. Pin 102 is maintained in a fixed position along its axis by means of cotter pins 104 which project through apertures 105 in pin 102 interiorly of the tow member 24. Hook means 181 then extend around the left and right extremities of pin 102.

It is to be noted that a vertically movable shaft 106 is then mounted in horizontal extending portions 107 and 108 of bracket 100, projection 107 being spot welded at points 189. A central portion 110 of bracket 100 is bent to the right as viewed in FIG. 8 in order to cause tow member 24 to ride upwardly on it if shaft 106 is lowered to permit pin 102 to extend to the right of shaft 106 as viewed in FIG. 8. This will be desirable Whenever there is a power failure and it is necessary to open the garage door. In this case it will be noted that bracket 100 will rise upwardly somewhat but will be rotated and eventually rest at the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. Relative to the bracket 100, then, the right end of tow member 24 will ride over portion 118 in a direction to the right as viewed in FIG. 8. Portion 110 is provided with a slot 111 in it to permit the insertion of a fastening element 112 through an extension 113 of projection 197. Member 113 extends through an aperture 114 in the body portion of bracket 100. A spring 116 is located around shaft 106 and bears against a shoulder provided thereon and against projection 163 of bracket 100. Movement of shaft 166 upwardly is resisted by a stop 117 that is fixed to shaft 186 by means of a cotter pin 118. Preferably a cord 119 made of any suitable materials is fixed to stop 114 by means of a set screw 120. Thus, shaft 106 is manually operable simply by pulling on the cord 119 which is also shown in FIG. 1. Fastening elements 121 shown best in FIG. 7 are also provided to fix the body portion of bracket 160 to garage door 126. A pair of holes 122 are additionally provided in the event that additional fastening elements are desired. Flanges 94, 96 are shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7 because they actually do not exist in the portion of the section 7-7 of the garage door opener shown in FIG. 1. This is to eliminate any mechanical interference with the rotation of book means 101 relative to tow member 24 when tow member 24 is hingedly connected to bracket 100 in the manner shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The electrical operation of the garage door opener 20 is best illustrated in FIG. 9 where a schematic diagram of the apparatus employed is shown. This includes a remote control receiver 34 which may be substituted simply with a mechanical switch. In the manner shown, it is provided with a relay 123 which closes the pair of contacts 124 upon energization. Contacts 124 with armature 125 form the starting switch of the garage door opener 29. As stated previously, motor 34 is preferably a reversing motor and will alternately lower and raise the garage door 26. Contacts 124 are connected serially with relay 6%). Relay 60 is also preferably provided with a pair of normally open self-locking contacts 126 which close when relay 60 is energized. Through normally closed contacts switch 58 shown in FIG. 9, relay 60 is energized until switch 58 is opened by movement of actuating member 82 to the left as viewed in FIG. 2. Relay 60 is also preferably provided with an additional pair of normally open contacts 127 to energize motor 34. Hence when relay 60 is de-energized so is motor 34. Power to both relay 6t and motor 34 is supplied over a pair of leads 128 shown in FIG. 9.

It is therefore seen that the garage door will be inexpensive to manufacture and its constructive component parts designed to wear Well for long periods of time without the need of maintenance. Specifically if treated with a material to eliminate any requirement for lubrication of roller 28. Large diameter disc 62 and member '72 prevent substantial wear of cogwheel 63 or cogs iii). In addition, the use of the large diameter disc 62 and member 72 prevent portions of tow member 24 defining slot 78 from becoming lodged and stuck between the cogs 80 and thereby causing the garage door opener to become inoperative. Still further, leaf spring arrangements 44 and 45 provide convenient and inexpensive means of turning motor 34 ed. Still further, use of actuating member 82 extending through roller shaft 75 around which roller 78 is rotatably mounted, makes the garage door opener 20 much more compact.

Another substantial advantage of the invention is derived from the use of the assembly 22 to connect tow member 24 to garage door 26 releasably but hingedly.

Although only one specific embodiment has been illustrated and described, it is of course to be understood that the invention is by no means limited to this one embodiment, but that the true scope of the invention is defined only in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a door assembly for a garage or the like wherein a door is moved between its open and closed positions, the combination of: a rack member pivotally connected to the door; an overhead motor; a housing on the under side of the motor; a horizontal drive shaft extending laterally from said housing and operatively connected to said motor; a rotary clutch member keyed to said drive shaft; a pinion member under said rack member in mesh therewith, said pinion member being rotatably mounted on said drive shaft in coaxial abutment with said clutch member, said clutch member and pinion member having co-acting intermeshed non-planar clutch faces, one of said members being axially retractable from the other member by cam action between said clutch faces; spring means urging said retractable member against the other member; a transverse tubular shaft above said rack member; roller means on said tubular shaft in contact with the upper side of said rack member to hold the rack member in mesh With said pinion member; switch means in said housing to stop said motor; and switch actuating means extending through said tubular shaft to operate said switch means, the outer end of said switch actuating means being positioned for actuation by retraction of said retractable member to stop the motor in the event of overload.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 which includes two limit means on said rack member spaced longitudinally thereof to actuate said switch actuating means to stop the motor when the door approaches its open and closed positions.

3. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved betwen a closed position and an open position, a motor, a rack member operatively coupled to the door for operation of the door in accordance with the longitudinal movements of the rack member, a pin-ion member engaging said rack member for longitudinal movement of the rack member, a rotary clutch member driven by said motor and axially abutting said pinion member, said pinion and clutch members having normally meshed. end faces with cam surfaces for urging the two members apart, one of said pinion and clutch members being axially retractable out of engagement with the other one of the two members, spring means to urge said retractable one of the pinion and clutch members against said other one of the pinion and clutch members, means responsive to axial movement of said retractable member by said cam surfaces to deenergize the motor, and actuating means operatively coupled to the rack member for deenergizing the motor in response to movements of the door toward the open and closed positions respectively, said actuating means being non-responsive to the opposite movements of the door away from the open and closed positions respectively.

4. Ina door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved between a closed position and an open position, a motor, an elongated operating member, a normally open control switch for said motor, a relay connected in a circuit with said control switch to become energized upon a closure of the control switch, a locking circuit connected to said relay and including a normally closed stop switch to lock said relay for energization of the motor through said stop switch upon at least a momentary closure of said control switch, yielding clutch means operatively connecting said motor with said operating member for loads on the clutch below a particular value, means responsive to the yielding action of said clutch means for loads on the clutch of at least the particular value to open the stop switch, and actuating means operatively coupled to the elongated operating member for opening the stop switch in response to approach of the door to the open and closed positions respectively, said actuating means being non-responsive to the opposite movements of the door away from the open and closed positions respectively.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 4 in which said actuating means are yielding means to permit coasting of the motor.

6. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved betwen a closed position and an open position, a motor, an elongated operating member, means operatively connecting said motor with said operating member, said connecting means being constnucted to obtain a decoupling between the motor and the operating member upon the imposition of a particular load to the connecting means to provide an operation of the motor independently of the operating member, a pair of limit means at longitudinally spaced points on said operating member, circuit means including a stop switch for said motor, and means responsive to the particular load on said connecting means to open said stop switch for a protection of the motor from overload and responsive, at a position of the door just prior to the open and closed positions of the door, to movement of at least one of said pair of limit means only toward the open and closed positions of the door to stop the motor when the door approaches its open and closed positions.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which said means operatively connecting said motor with said operating member includes a clutch constructed to yield upon the imposition of a particular load on the clutch and in which the protecting means for the motor is responsive to the yielding action of the clutch.

8. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved betwen closed and open positions, a rack member, means releasably connecting said rack member to the door, a motor, a rotary clutch member connected to said motor in peripheral contact with said rack member, a pinion member in driving engagement with said rack member, said pinion member being in coaxial abut- 7 ment with said clutch member, said pinion member and clutch member having respective normally meshed clutch faces, one of said pinion and clutch members being axially retractable from the other of the pinion and clutch members by cam action between the clutch faces to obtain a declutching relationship betwen the pinion and clutch members, spring means urging said retractable one of the pinion and clutch members axially against the other one of the clutch and pinion members, means responsive to retraction of said retractable one of the pinion and clutch members from the other one of the pinion and clutch members to deenergize the motor, and means disposed at a position just prior to the open and closed positions of the door and operatively coupled to the rack member only during the movements of the door toward the open and closed positions for deenergizing the motor.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 8 in which said releasably connecting means is manually releasable to permit the door to be operated by hand independently of the motor and pinion.

10. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved between a closed position and an open position, a motor, an elongated rack member opera-tively coupled to the door for operation of the door in the longitudinal direction of the rack member, a pinion member engaging the rack member for longitudinal movement of the rack member, a rotary clutch member driven by the motor and disposed in cooperative relationship with the pinion in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the rack member, biasing means operatively connected to a particular one of the pinion and clutch members to urge that member into cooperative relationship with the other one of the pinion and clutch members, the particular one of the pinion and clutch members being retractable in the transverse direction out of the cooperative relationship with the other one of the pinion and clutch members upon the imposition of a force against the members greater than that impose-d by the biasing means, switching means connected in a circuit with the motor to control the operation of the motor, means responsive to the movement of the particular one of the pinion and clutch members in the transverse direction out of cooperative relationship with the other one of the pinion and clutch members for operating upon the switching means to obtain a deenergizing of the motor, actuating means operatively coupled to the rack member at positions before the movement of the rack member to positions corresponding to the open and closed positions of the door and responsive only to movements of the rack member corresponding to the open and closed positions of the door for actuating the switching means to obtain a deenergizing of the motor, the actuating means being constructed to prevent the switching means from being actuated upon movements of the actuating means from positions corresponding to the open and closed positions of the door.

11. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved between a closed position and an open position, a motor, a rack member operatively connected to the door for operation of the door in accordance with the longitudinal movements of the rack member, a pinion engaging, the rack member for longitudinal movement of the rack member and disposed for axial movement, a rotary clutch member driven by the rack member and axially abutting the pinion and disposed in fixed axial position relative to the rack member, first spring means disposed against the pinion to bias the pinion axially with a particular force against the clutch member, the rotary clutch member and the pinion being provided with axial projections to provide for an axial movement of the pinion from the clutch member upon the exertion of forces greater than the particular force against the operation of the motor, first switching means including first and second contacts, second spring means biasing the first contact of the first switching means against the second contact of the first switching means, means opcratively connected to the pinion and the first contact of the first switching means for obtaining a displacement of the first contact of the first switching means from the second contact of the first switching means in accordance with the axial displacement of the pinion from the clutch member, actuating means operatively coupled to the rack member at positions just prior to the positions corresponding to the open and closed positions of the door for actuation only upon movement of the rack member toward positions corresponding to the open and closed positions of the door and Without actuation upon movements of the rack member from the positions corresponding to the open and closed positions of the door, second switching means including first and second contacts and having the first contacts operatively coupled to the actuating means to become opened upon an actuation of the actuating means, electrical circuitry including the first and second switching means and the motor for obtaining an operation of the motor during the closure of the first and second switching means and for obtaining an interruption in the operation of the motor upon the opening of one of the first and second switching means.

12. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved betwen a closed position and an open position; a motor; an elongated operating member operatively connecting the motor to the door to obtain a move ment of the door between the open and closed positions in accordance with the movements of the operating member in first and second opposite directions; limit means operatively connected to the operating member for movements with the operating member in the first and second opposite directions and disposed relative to the operating member for movements in third and fourth opposite directions transverse to the first and second opposite directions; first and second actuating members respectively disposed at positions in the movements of the operating member in the first and second opposite directions corresponding to the open and closed positions of the door, the first and second actuating members being respectively constructed and disposed relative to the limit means to receive a movement by the limit means in the third direction from a first limit position to a second limit position; switching means provided with first and second states of operation and operatively connected to the first and second actuating members to become converted from the first state of operation to the second state of operation upon a movement of the first and second actuating members in the third direction from the first limit position to the second limit position; electrical circuitry including the motor and the switching means for obtaining in operation of the motor in the first state of operation of the switching means and for interrupting the operation of the motor in the second state of operation of the switching means; biasing means responsive to the movement of the operating member, through the momentum of the motor, past the switching means for moving the actuating members in the fourth direction from the second position to the first position; and stop means disposed relative to the actuating members to prevent movements of the actuating members in the fourth direction beyond the first position during the return of the limit means with the operating member in the first and second opposite directions from positions respectively beyond the first and second actuating members.

13. The combination set forth in claim 12 in which the limit means includes a leaf spring disposed in the first and second opposite directions of movement and inclined in the third direction in the direction of movement of the limit means past the actuating members.

14. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved between a closed position and an open position, a motor; an elongated operating member operatively connecting the motor to the door to obtain movements of t e door betwen the open and, closed positions in accordance with the movements of the operating member in a first direction corresponding to the direction of elongation; a. switch actuatable to stop the motor; means including an actuating member movable in a second direction transverse to the first direction from a first position to a second position in accordance with the movements of the operating member in the first direction and operatively connected to the switch during the movement in the transverse direction to actuate the switch; stop means disposed relative to the actuating member to prevent movement of the actuating member in the transverse direction beyond the second position in the direction of movement from the first position to the second position; spring means urging the actuating member in the transverse direction from the first position toward the second position; a pair of lirnit means carried by the elongated operating member at spaced positions along the operating member to actuate the actuating member from the first position to the second position in the transverse direction for an interruption in the operation of the motor as the door approaches the open and closed positions, each of the limit means including yielding means stronger than the spring means and inclined in the transverse direction relative to the path of the elongated operating member to move the actuating member by cam action in the transverse direction trom the first position to the second position in opposition to the spring means during the movement of the limit means past the actuating member; and stop means disposed relative to the actuating member to prevent movement of the actuating member in the transverse direction beyond the second position during the return of the limit means past the actuating member for a yielding of the limit means to the actuating member during such return movement.

15. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door -is mounted to swing between a forward upright closed position and a rearward overhead open position, the combination of: power means, a forwardly extending elongated operating member operatively connected to said power means for actuation by the power means in the forwardly extending direction, a first connecting means on said operating member, a second connecting means on said door and being normally mutually engaged with the first connecting means for pivotally connecting the door to the operating member and being manually releasable from the first connecting means to free the door for manual operation independent of the operating member and the power means, means for obtaining a manual release of the second connecting means from the first connecting means and means adjacent the door for sliding contact with the under side of said operating member to support the operating member away from the door during manual operation of the door between its open and closed positions while said two connecting means are disengaged from each other, said sliding contact means includes an inclined tongue on the upper edge of the door for supporting the operating member during the swinging movement of the door betwen the forward upright closed position and the rearward overhead open position.

16. In a door assembly for a garage or the like, wherein a door is moved between a closed position and an open pcsiton, a motor, a rack member operatively coupled to the door for operation of the door in accordance with the longitudinal movements of the rack member, a pinion member engaging said rack member for longitudinal movement of the rack member, a rotary clutch member driven by said motor and axially abutting said pinion member, said pinion and clutch members having normally meshed end faces with cam surfaces for urging the two members apart, one of said pinion and clutch members being axially retractable out of engagement with the other of the two members, spring means to urge said retractable one of the pinion and clutch members against said other one of the pinion and clutch members, means responsive to axial movement of said retractable member by said cam surfaces to deenergize the motor, roller means to hold said rack member in mesh with said pinion member; a hollow shaft supporting said roller means; a motor switch; and switch actuating means extending through said hollow shaft to operate said motor switch in response to axial movement of the pinion member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 665,563 Beattie Jan. 8, 1901 1,932,362 Halvorsen Oct. 24, 1933 2,131,802 Harmon Oct. 4, 1938 2,430,729 Negri Nov. 11, 1947 2,540,538 Matchett Feb. 6, 1951 2,573,140 Heth Oct. 30, 1951 2,643,530 Lathrop June 30, 1953 2,687,298 Maple Aug. 24, 1954 2,752,150 Richmond et a1 June 26, 1956 2,753,179 Hahn July 3, 1956 2,755,081 Johnson et al July 17, 1956 2,778,053 Hess et a1 Jan. 22, 1957 2,805,059 Green Sept. 3, 1957 2,809,531 Moyer Oct. 15, 1957 2,822,166 Herbert Feb. 4, 1958 2,861,799 Hartzler Nov. 25, 1958 2,922,638 Smith June 26, 1960 

6. IN A DOOR ASSEMBLY FOR A GARAGE OR THE LIKE, WHEREIN A DOOR IS MOVED BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION AND AN OPEN POSITION, A MOTOR, AN ELONGATED OPERATING MEMBER, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID MOTOR WITH SAID OPERATING MEMBER, SAID CONNECTING MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED TO OBTAIN A DECOUPLING BETWEEN THE MOTOR AND THE OPERATING MEMBER UPON THE IMPOSITION OF A PARTICULAR LOAD TO THE CONNECTING MEANS TO PROVIDE AN OPERATION OF THE MOTOR INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OPERATING MEMBER, A PAIR OF LIMIT MEANS AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS ON SAID OPERATING MEMBER, CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING A STOP SWITCH FOR SAID MOTOR, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PARTICULAR LOAD ON SAID CONNECTING MEANS TO OPEN SAID STOP SWITCH FOR A PROTECTION OF THE MOTOR FROM OVERLOAD AND RESPONSIVE, AT A POSITION OF THE DOOR JUST PRIOR TO THE OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS OF THE DOOR, TO MOVEMENT OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PAIR OF LIMIT MEANS ONLY TOWARD THE OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS OF THE DOOR TO STOP THE MOTOR WHEN THE DOOR APPROACHES ITS OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS. 